Warsaw Beer Festival
Originality, authenticity, diversity—these are the ingredients that should be on the label of a
craft beer. We’ll prove it once again at the Warsaw Beer Festival.
The 22nd edition of the Warsaw Beer Festival will take place October 15–17, 2026, at Legia
Stadium in Warsaw. Organized by the Wolny Kraft Association, the event brings together
brewers, experts, and lovers of great taste and good fun. The theme of this year’s edition is
“DETAILS” —a perspective on craftsmanship as precise work with raw materials and a
substantive counterbalance to mass automation. This is also the approach taken by the
festival organizers—you can spend hours exploring the list of beers, meetings, tours, and the
artistic program, and there are hundreds of different ways to experience each edition. You
can taste beers, chat, sing at Poland’s largest karaoke event, watch a film about rescue
dogs, and even… enter a contest for the best slingshot for shooting trinkets and win lifetime
tickets to the festival.
The Details of Craftsmanship and International Cooperation (Not a Corporation)
This year’s festival theme—“Details”—focuses on the physical traces of a craftsman’s work,
their professional flair, and the experience that leaves its mark on their creations. The
festival’s visual identity is based on a poster whose main motif was hand-sculpted from
plasticine by Stanisław Cytrycki from the Poster Studio at the Academy of Fine Arts in
Warsaw, working under the supervision of Prof. Lech Majewski. The fingerprints visible in the
material’s texture serve as a message: they document the artist’s touch and the hard work of
his hands. This is the winning entry from a competition; the other entries will be on display in
the festival’s “Zone of Silence.”
“From the very beginning, we’ve built the Warsaw Beer Festival on a foundation of
relationships, an open community, and respect for hard, artisanal work. We want to show
that behind every beer there’s a real person—with their passion, knowledge, and incredible
attention to detail. We’re creating a safe, diverse meeting space where everyone—whether
they’re an experienced beer geek or just taking their first steps in this world—will feel right at home,” says Paweł Leszczyński, the WFP’s chief organizer.
The international scope of the event is underscored by the presence of the British Embassy,
which is partnering with the Traditional British Beers booth to showcase classic British
brewing traditions. Representatives from Ireland’s Galway Bay Brewery—Cormac Wall—and
France’s SPO—Thomas Deptula—will also be attending the event. The sensory experience
will be enhanced by two festival glasses: the 0.1 tasting glass, created in collaboration with
our Glass Partner, Rastal, and the “Mozaika” (0.4) glass, featuring geometric embossing that
references raw materials, architecture, and craftsmanship.
From Artificial Intelligence to Tough Conversations—Debates on the Industry’s Future
Panel discussions will serve as a platform for exchanging industry knowledge. As part of the
debate “Time Capsule 2031: Who, Where, and for How Much Will People Drink Polish Craft
Beer?”, speakers will present their analyses and forecasts for the craft beer sector’s
development. The panel “Craft Prompts: Is Beer Created with AI Still Craft?” will analyze the
impact of generative AI tools on the optimization of technological processes (including
graphic design) in craft breweries. Meanwhile, the discussion “A Difficult Word Starting with
‘A.’ Regulatory Changes and the Growing NoLo Trend.” The substantive portion of the
program will be complemented by the panel “It Wouldn’t Have Happened Without Craft. How
Has the Beer Revolution Changed Things for the Better?”, summarizing the impact of the
craft beer movement on the diversity of beer choices in Poland, as well as their quality and
authenticity.
Rescue, Culture, and Responsibility
The Warsaw Beer Festival combines interesting conversations with education and social
responsibility. The program includes a screening of the documentary “Hope Has Four Paws”
(dir. Szymon Pawlik, title song: Ranko Ukulele), which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the
work of volunteers and rescue dogs from the Marki Volunteer Fire Department. The festival
grounds will serve as a training ground for them and a place to learn how to interact with
people whose official task is to pet them and give them treats. The dogs are also supported
by the sale of pins featuring Lulu, the film’s heroine, as well as by Amber Brewery, which will
allocate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of its non-alcoholic IPA toward the purchase
of professional GPS transmitters.
“Modern craftsmanship also entails responsibility for the space in which it operates. The
dynamic growth of the NoLo segment and the implementation of transparent principles of
consumer education show that informed choice, a culture of tasting, and participant safety
are becoming the industry’s priorities,” adds Michał Lassota.
The festival also continuously promotes the “Simple Rules for Good Fun,” developed in
collaboration with the OD-DO Association, provides free access to water at booths marked
with the H₂O symbol, and promotes a culture of moderation. The program is rounded out by
video workshops led by Małgorzata “Gyshka” Kowcun and Alek Brzostka, the Urban Fox
Zone with wooden games, the Retro Games Zone, and dedicated tours with Beer Guides.
Full list of exhibitors for the 22nd edition of WFP:
AleBrowar
Augustowska Miodosytnia
Brofaktura
Browar Alchemik
Browar Artezan
Browar Bałtów
Browar Bednary
Browar Brokreacja
Browar Cztery Ściany
Browar De Facto
Browar Dziki Wschód
Browar Hopkultura
Browar Jedlinka
Browar Kazimierz
Browar Kingpin
Browar Lubrow
Browar Łańcut
Browar Markowy
Browar Maryensztadt
Browar Monsters / Sick Boy Brewing
Browar Nepo
Browar Nieczajna
Browar Palatum
Browar Przełom
Browar Sady
Browar Sarabanda
Browar Spółdzielczy
Browar Stu Mostów
Browar Sulewski
Browar Trzech Kumpli
Browar Warszawski
Browar Wielka Sowa
Browar Za Miastem
Browar Zakładowy
Coypu
Cydr Chyliczki
Cydr Dwaj Bracia
Dziki Miód
Funky Fluid
Green Head
HopBrook
Inne Beczki
Magic Road
Mazurski Browar
Miodosytnia Imbiorowicz
Moczybroda
Pinta
Piwne Podziemie
Quantum Satis Mead
ReCraft
Stara Szkoła - Piwa Ziołowe
Starkraft
T.E.A. Time Traditional British Beers
About the Warsaw Beer Festival and the Wolny Kraft Association:
The Warsaw Beer Festival is a recurring event dedicated to craft culture, applied arts, and
gastronomy, held since 2014 at Legia Stadium in Warsaw. The Wolny Kraft Association is a
nonprofit organization bringing together craft enthusiasts, whose goal is to promote
technological knowledge, support responsible consumer behavior, and build a platform for
cooperation between the craft industry and social and artistic initiatives.
